.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Team WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, initially dealing with the Minnesota Vikings just before changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a recurring panelist on Around the Horn and also host of Utmost Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She recently worked at the San Jose Mercury Updates as an interactives media sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester went back to his native South Fla for the largest video game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was well on his means to coming to be the very best return specialist in NFL history.The past second-round selection, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually presently gained first-team All-Pro recognition and Pro Dish respects due to the opportunity the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a profession- and league-high 47 puntings with 3 leading to goals in 2006. He additionally returned 2 kickoffs for goals as well as scored after returning an overlooked basket 108 backyards versus the Nyc Giants.The Colts possessed plenty of film to examine as they got ready for Chicago's the majority of dangerous weapon. They had actually viewed Hester run a punt back 83 yards for the okay goal to cap off a 20-point rebound sway the Cardinals. They observed him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the same video game to scratch first return touchdowns of 94 as well as 96 lawns, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the piece shake inside a stormy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and also selected to acquire, the Colts sent out the position kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 secs to dash where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' goal, 92 yards away, all while watching himself on the videoboard as he captured the only TD return of a position first in Super Bowl history.The disappointment from an eventual 29-17 loss to the Colts performed little bit of to fade the play that draws attention to Hester's Hall of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact is going to be enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the very first player chosen to the Pro Soccer Hall of Fame first and foremost as a zing returner a gamer who stimulated one of the most iconic instants in NFL history.Devin Hester really began the Super Dish with a house call Among the best zing returners ever turns 40 today.( via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For 2 full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had produced a game plan for Hester that focused on him not touching the sphere. While the Bears' exclusive crews devices were one of the most explosive in the organization, the Colts positioned 30th in kickoff insurance coverage and 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Listed here is just how that program inevitably yielded to among the most impressive plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive crew. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. But coverage, come back, they had the most ideal unique staffs system in the NFL. Bar none. And the most effective returner, perhaps in NFL history." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "We were actually kicking to the edges, we are actually bouncing the round, our company are actually squibbing it, our experts are actually punting high, or even our team are actually punting away from bounds. Our team mentioned, 'He is actually certainly not visiting be actually an element. Our experts think our experts can easily control their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "Many of his profits for goals were puntings, certainly not automatically kickoffs [Hester came back 3 puntings and two kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We understood for certain the strategic plan was actually do not punt the round to him. Try to punt it 40 gardens, forty five backyards, away from bounds. Give up some range however do certainly not permit him get the sphere in his hands." Our experts considered it the various other means and failed to intend to lose a lot of yardage on first things, so because we have actually acquired a number of our starters therein, allow's attempt to affix him behind-the-scenes and also view if our team can overload that edge and make an effort to lessen his profit. Our experts exercised that all week long. It wasn't also like our company were stressed to kick a touchback. We were actually additional anxious regarding hitting it over in the section, and if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard line yet it is actually actually near the sideline, after that our company can try to box him in a bit." Reid: "The strategic plan was our experts are actually not visiting boot to him. He is actually also hazardous." Times just before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy changed his mind.Dungy: "Among our pastors provided a church company before the video game as well as referred to David and also Goliath and also claimed, 'The reason David achieved success is he had not been hesitant. All the various other Israelites were afraid of Giant.' So I started presuming, am I putting anxiety right into our men' souls? Am I playing this incorrect? We can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as surprised as anyone that the Colts were actually kicking to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the rain became, Hester took the settle back as well as created background. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I altered my thoughts and mentioned if our company shed the shake, our experts're visiting begin. Our team're heading to kick it to him, and also I prefer you to go down and also pound him. As well as when our team knock their champ down, that is actually heading to send out an information just like David." I referred to it with Russ Purnell, our exclusive groups instructor, and also obviously he stated our team can deal with, our team may do this. Our experts'll obtain him in the Super Bowl. Everyone desires to possess their second. Nobody intends to go out certainly there and also just mention, 'Hey, our team weren't portion of this, or even our experts failed to support.' So it was mutual, yet at the end of the time, it was my choice." Reid: "Pair of or even three days just before the activity I rallied the people to encourage Train Dungy. I stated, 'Our company may manage him. We'll be fine.' You could possibly tell [Dungy] felt uneasy about performing it, yet he's like: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears special crews organizer: "Every game that we had, it was actually regularly a question of that's going to kick to him, who isn't mosting likely to kick to him. We understood that they had actually discussed not kicking to him, however our experts always supposed as a workers that they were actually visiting kick to our company in the Super Dish even if it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I told all of them Saturday night. I said, 'They're going to boot the ball right to our company.'" An unforeseen hurricane relocated into the Miami place on video game day and also poured almost one in of rain over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 watched Hester and the Bears kickoff gain team trot onto the industry to get the position zing following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears limited end: "As a novice, his confidence when he took the area was actually unreal. Our experts took a lot of pleasure in shutting out for him. Exclusive staffs wasn't a job. It didn't seem like you were actually being actually punished for not being actually a starter. Whenever you stepped on the industry along with him in the yield activity, it felt like, 'Male, our company may get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I don't forget finding all these flashes hit when the round is being started. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Ending to the game coming from the locker area really felt unique. I've never ever felt just about anything like it. It felt like the movies. There were Roman candlesticks being soared and all the ashes were actually boiling down in funeral pace. It absolutely possessed me pestered out. I got to the subsidiary as well as it resembled, 'Whoa, what merely occurred?' And then our experts gain the coin toss as well as our experts're obtaining. Talk about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I mentioned if it goes in the end zone, receive that reception for him. That's what remained in my thoughts because it was never done, had actually certainly never been done before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it certainly never entered my mind that he will dash a ball back for a touchdown. It actually didn't. I've had 2 of all of them in Super Bowls. I booted one to [Veggie Bay Packers vast receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] as well as he functioned it back for a goal. So it happened to me just before, yet at no opportunity was I presuming, 'Oh my gosh, it's heading to happen again.' 2024 Pro Football Venue of FameThe Hall of Popularity Activity in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually aired on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two plays that determine Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney places twist on legacy u2022 Mongo's match, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't horrendous when our company performed it. I thought, we'll place him in the corner, we'll confront him inside the 25 as well as our experts'll experience decent concerning ourselves. Which's not what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that visited of my mouth [when he viewed the ball moved his technique] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and also raised field to the twenty. The closest a Colts guardian will reach tackling him was security Marlin Jackson, that was ins far from Hester, who accelerated out of his realization. The Bears' wedge including Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid made a space for Hester to blast past the first wave of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Bowl logo and also started sprinting parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the area, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He eluded everyone every single time he did that. The middle of the area was golden for Devin. They failed to intend to kick it down the mid to Devin, yet they seemingly were dealing with it way too much, and if you presume you're defeated. If they kick it down the center of the industry, I knew he was mosting likely to score." I always kept referring to him being in his yard [on the program] I feel I claimed, 'From Riviera Coastline to the most significant stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually foolish.'" Harris: "I remember attacking an individual, it was actually most likely around the little bit of Super Dish company logo. I broke this man and type of saw [Devin] showing off through. And when I shifted as well as I viewed he was actually out plus all the Colts white colored shirts chasing him, I pointed out, 'Okay, I've come to go satisfy him.' So I simply took off on a dead sprint given that I understood he was scoring." Vinatieri: "The moment he got past our initial wave of individuals, after that we possess a safety on each edge and also me between. I recognized I was also far away from him. If I might receive close good enough to him to a minimum of slow him down, maybe the interest might get to him. Yet he outwited the piss out of me, too. That's the important things about Devin. When he has a small amount of area, with that said vision, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 yards for a goal with the position first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and also didn't touch him in any way, I resembled 'damn.' It's amusing given that after one play, my jacket is dirtier than anyone's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much open field, so I understood appropriate after that and certainly there [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a scenario where I was actually pinned to a side project as well as had the subsidiary antagonizing me. We resided in the available field, so I recognized he wasn't going to get me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin found. I was questioning why he was looking up later to know that he was examining himself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him and just stumbled him up and also he tumbled into the end area for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would certainly continue on the upcoming ride as they opened a 14-6 top, however the Colts took command in the second zone for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our company began the video game with a touchdown and our experts believed it was actually visiting be actually an ass-whipping. Really didn't find yourself in this way, despite the fact that our team came out and we received a choice right after that, too. Our company thought we possessed all type of momentum at that point and afterwards clearly it ended up shifting on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I presume the a single thing regarding that was it was actually the initial play of the game. That actually worked in our perk considering that if it was anything beyond that, like in in the fourth quarter, it will be like, 'Oh my God!' It would certainly be a hard trait to recoup coming from." However we possessed four quarters to recoup and also put that behind our team. Therefore, for us it was kind of like, 'Okay, our experts made an effort. Shame on us and then our company can keep it moving currently.' Due to the fact that eventually, we knew offensively our team were mosting likely to record much more than seven factors, and I knew defensively our team were actually heading to maintain all of them coming from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire crew is ignited as well as delighted. Right now when they begin to our team, their defense is actually mosting likely to be actually coming a thousand miles a hr given that the energy is actually presently on their edge ... but the reality that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left in the game, we knew it had not been over by any means. Our experts felt in one's bones that this is actually the guy that will certainly ravage the ready our company if our team do not avoid that. And certainly simply watching that first play was actually evidence of that. Let's not kick him another round." Gilmore: "They got intelligent and chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 gains in that game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner supported this record.